Arrival of Harki families 6 septembre 1962 (≈ 1962)
Installation of 20 families in Ongles.
1965
Departure for Cannes
Departure for Cannes 1965 (≈ 1965)
Families leave the forest hamlet.
1971
End of training centre
End of training centre 1971 (≈ 1971)
Closing of the site dedicated to descendants.
2008
Opening of the MHeMO
Opening of the MHeMO 2008 (≈ 2008)
Inauguration of the memorial site in Ongles.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Yves Durand - S.A.S. Lieutenant.
Organized the return of the harkis to Ongles.
Jean-Jacques Jordi - History
Contributed to the design of the exhibition.
Abderahmen Moumen - History
Collaborated in the scientific development of the project.
Origin and history
The House of History and Memory of Ongles (MHeMO) was inaugurated in 2008 in the village of Ongles, located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. This commemorative and educational venue houses a permanent exhibition entitled They arrive tomorrow, which tells of the arrival of more than a hundred people, from about twenty families of harkis, on September 6, 1962. These families were welcomed as part of the end of the Algerian war, under the leadership of Lieutenant Yves Durand, a former member of the Specialized Administrative Sections (S.A.S.) in Algeria.
The exhibition details the journey of these families, from their installation in a forested hamlet specially designed for them, until their departure to Cannes in 1965. The site was then transformed into a vocational training centre for the Harki descendants, a vocation it retained until 1971. The scientific design of the exhibition benefited from the expertise of historians Jean-Jacques Jordi and Abderahmen Moumen, guaranteeing a rigorous and documented approach to this history page.
This memorial project is based on major historical works, including those cited in works such as The Harkis, History, Memory and Transmission (2010) and Great Tiny Transalpine Lives (2009). The Maison d'Histoire et de Mémoire d'Ongles thus plays a key role in preserving and transmitting the history of the harkis, in connection with the colonial and post-colonial issues of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
